


Life isn’t always what you expected

by Livvyowl



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, Character Death, M/M, Strong Language, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-01-17
Packaged: 2017-11-23 21:39:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livvyowl/pseuds/Livvyowl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Kurt's junior year at McKinley high and things aren't going his way. He's being excessively bullied by Karofsky, and no one seems to really notice how bad it has gotten. The Hummels and Hudsons just moved in together a few weeks ago and things are a bit strained between Kurt and his dad. Then things start getting worse, there's an accident and things escalate from there. </p>
<p>(This story will be somewhat AU, some things will be the same as the original story, others will not. Blaine for one never went to Dalton, the Sadie Hawkins event happened this school year, Burt hasn't had his heart attack, Kurt hasn't transferred to Dalton.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Accident

Cringing Kurt stood at the sink in the school bathroom, the girls’ bathroom to be exact. Yes he knew he wasn’t supposed to be in there, but it was the safest place to go, since the boy’s bathroom was more often than not filled with the guys who made him need to go in there in the first place. As he leaned over the sink, washing the red cherry slushy off his face, it was all he could to keep the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes away. For a moment he glanced up at the mirror and it almost looked as though he was crying despite the effort, the water from the sink sliding down his cheeks.

The boy had never been more grateful that he’d gotten the habit of keeping a spare shift of clothes in his locker, because his dad was picking him up today. They were heading out to Columbus, Kurt had wanted to go there to see if one of his favorite stores had anything new, and Burt had wanted to spend the day with his son. So without any discussion his dad had insisted that they’d go together. He’d even suggested they’d go see a movie and have dinner once they’d been shopping. The two of them hadn’t had much time together lately and his father had clearly decided that they needed to, for which Kurt was actually pretty grateful.

It was true that the two of them hadn’t spent as much time together as they’d used to, especially since Carole and Finn had moved in with them. It had been nice to get a female influence in the house, but as much as he’d had a massive crush on Finn since freshman year, his presence had been less than pleasant. Not so much because Finn wasn’t being nice to him, he was, but because his father had been spending more time with Finn than he had with Kurt and Kurt was honestly more than a little jealous at this point. It was his dad, not Finn’s and it hurt like hell every time Burt and Finn went out to a sports event of some sort and didn’t even ask him to come along. Not that he enjoyed sports, and he would have spent most of the time being bored out of his mind, but it hurt that they didn’t even consider him.

At some point his dad had even commented that it was nice to do ‘manly’ things with Finn. That had hurt more than anything. Yes, he was gay and he wasn’t ashamed of that fact, not anymore, but that didn’t mean he didn’t wish he could be considered part of the guys every so often. It hurt that most of the guys he knew cringed away from him if he ever got closer than a few feet away. It probably wasn’t a conscious thing from most of them, but it happened and hurt non-the less.  
Frowning he realized that he’d stopped what he was doing and had just been staring into the mirror instead. Taking one more look at his still slightly red streaked face from the slushie, he sighed and shook his head, forcing himself to focus on what he was doing. Quickly he leaned forward and washed the rest of the red dye off of his skin and grabbed some paper towels to dry his face. For once he was actually glad none of the other New Directions members had seen him get slushied, it was quicker to get cleaned up on his own, and right now he didn’t really want anyone’s sympathy.

Slowly he reached out to let his hand gently trail over the soft sweater sitting on the sink next to the one that now had water the color of blood. It was a little ominous actually, and for a moment it creeped him out. Sure, no one had ever hurt him enough to draw blood, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been scared they would on multiple occasions. His hand quickly reached out to pull the plug from the sink so he could watch the red water vanish, before rinsing the basin out so the red wouldn’t stain the white porcelain. Keeping things clean had always been an agenda he took very seriously, whether it was his own room, or the school bathroom. If he’d caused a mess, he’d clean it up.

Once that was done he looked around hastily, making sure no one was around. It should be long enough after the last class of the day at the moment to where no one would suddenly burst into the bathroom. He took a chance and stripped off his cold and wet upper body layers, thankfully nothing had got into his pants this time around, and hastily slipped on the clean turtleneck sweater. Sure, he wouldn’t be wearing his usually fabulous layers, but what could he do? It wasn’t like he was going to tell his dad that someone had tossed a frozen drink into his face. Telling him would only stress him out, and his dad had worried more than enough about Kurt lately.

Coming out of the closet to his father had been much easier than expected, but the repercussions that came with it had been less than pleasant. As soon as he’d come out to the rest of the world his dad had gotten a few calls saying things like ‘your son is a faggot’ and other rude remarks. These things didn’t bother Kurt most days, he was getting used to it. Even before he’d officially come out, most of the student at his school had just assumed he was gay anyway, and the comments had been there ever since freshman year. Once his dad had caught onto the fact that people said things like this to him, he’d started worrying about it. Sure, his dad was very good at hiding his worries, but that didn’t mean Kurt couldn’t see it.

In fact, he had been struggling to keep a low profile lately because he felt like he was causing his father more stress than he should be. There had been a constant knot of guilt in his stomach every time he thought about it. Again he’d just been standing there staring at himself, so instead he stuffed his dirty clothes into a plastic bag, and then shoved it into his regular bag before heading for the doors. His dad was probably waiting in the parking lot and wondering what he was doing.

OoOoOoOoOo

As he walked out into the parking lot he realized he’d been right, his dad’s tuck was there, and his dad was standing outside, leaning on the side of it. Kurt smiled and waved enthusiastically at his dad. “Hey dad! I’m sorry I’m late, I had to finish an essay before I could leave!” he said enthusiastically and tried to push everything else out of his mind. This was supposed to be a fun day for the two of them, there was no way he was going to let a slushie ruin that for them.

“Hey kid” Burt replied and smiled at his son, there was a faint odor of cherry coming off his son, and his forehead wrinkled for a moment, but he didn’t ask. Instead they both got into the car in silence. Kurt immediately started fiddling with the radio and found a station that would play music they could both tolerate since their tastes in music were quite the opposite from each other. “How was your day?” his dad asked with a smile.

Kurt just shrugged at the question and sent his dad a small smile. “It was fine, nothing out of the usual really.” It wasn’t directly a lie, getting slushied and shoved into the lockers wasn’t anything unusual for him, but he knew his dad would have been angry if he’d told him about that particular event. Again, they sat in silence for a while, his dad seemed to be on the verge of saying something every now and again, but he always seemed to change his mind last minute as the car drove down the road. “Hey dad?” Kurt muttered quietly after a while. Burt just gave a small nod in response. “Thanks… for taking me to Columbus today.” His voice was a quiet whisper, but it was loud enough for his dad to hear. “You’re welcome Kid. I thought it’d be nice for us to spend the day together, and if shopping is what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do.”

The response made Kurt’s heart swell a little. Yes, it was obvious that his dad wasn’t thrilled about shopping, but the fact that he’d come along and do it anyway meant the world to him. The rest of the car ride was spent in relative silence, with the exception of a little small talk every now and then, but there was no deep conversations going on. Every so often Burt would open his mouth to say something, but then change his mind again. It felt strangely awkward to sit there like that.

When the car finally came to a halt Kurt let out a small sigh of relief as he stepped out onto the pavement, stretching in an almost cat like motion. His shirt slid up a little, revealing a small expanse of smooth, pale skin. Usually this wouldn’t happen because of the layers he wore, but since his layers were currently in a plastic bag at the bottom of his school bag today was different. A small shiver coursed through his body as he pulled the shirt back down and pulled his jacket a little closer around his shoulders.

“It’s a little cold out today” Burt commented before falling silent again and Kurt nodded his head a little in response. “I guess that’s what you get at this time of year” he answered before smiling warmly at his dad and leading them over to the shopping area he preferred.

OoOoOoOoOo

A few hours later they walked out of a store laughing. Kurt had tried on the most ridiculous looking outfits and even his dad had to admit that it had been fun. The mood had improved greatly from the car ride, and the two men seemed to have fallen back into the comfortable closeness they’d used to have when Kurt was younger. It was comforting to know that they could still find that place in the world.

Smiling they wandered into a restaurant they usually ate at whenever they made the trip here for one reason or another, and found a table by the window. For a while conversation was light as they looked at the menu, the topic mostly revolving around food and what they were getting. Burt wanted to get a burger what just screamed heart attack, but Kurt managed to talk him into a healthier chicken burger. “It never hurt anyone to eat at least somewhat healthy you know” he told his father before they both fell silent again.

It hadn’t been Kurt’s intention to lecture his father about food, but the meals Burt usually chose for himself was more than a little worrying. In fact, he’d started stopping by the garage whenever he had the chance to give his dad a proper, healthy meal. His mind drifted to the meals his father usually consumed at the garage and his heart squeezed with worry. His dad may be healthy this far, but with the stress he’d been under lately, the late nights at the garage and the unhealthy food, he felt like there was more than enough reason to worry.

Once he’d started letting his mind wander, it wandered further. School really hadn’t been a good place to be lately. This football player had been making his life a lot more difficult than usual. There had always been some locker slams and some slushies, but lately things had gotten worse day by day. It had become so bad that he looked over his shoulder nervously wherever he went. Dave Karofsky was the guy’s name and he’d gone out of his way to make his life a miserable hell.

This had started happening when Kurt had gone to confront the guy in the guy’s locker rooms and as he’d been yelling, Karofsky had leaned forward and kissed him. He’d never been more stunned in his life, and for a small moment he’d just stood there, wide eyed. Soon enough Karofsky had pulled away as if burned and then stalked off, leaving Kurt staring at the spot the guy had been standing in before. It had been his first kiss, and it had been an absolutely horrible experience. Just thinking about it almost brought tears to his eyes.

Things had gotten progressively worse from then on, the physical assaults had become more frequent, but that wasn’t what made it so bad. Karofsky had started intimidating him because he was worried Kurt would tell the rest of the student body about the kiss. There had even been a threat to his life at one point. His hand was shaking slightly against the menu, and suddenly there was a hand on his. Kurt almost fell out of his seat.

“We need your order Kurt” His father spoke gently. That’s when he noticed the waitress that was standing there, looking at him with some concern on her face. Kurt ordered his salad and then looked at his hands, trying to keep them steady. “Are you alright?” Burt’s voice was gentle; worry clearly lacing the words as he spoke. Kurt just nodded a little. “Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just been a long day I guess” he replied enthusiastically. It sounded extremely forced even to him. Burt didn’t press the matter and the rest of the meal was spent in relative silence, with the occasional conversation about the movie they were going to watch.

OoOoOoOoOo

The mood had lifted again once they walked out of the movie theatre, and they were discussing the action comedy they’d just seen happily. The weather had made a change for the worse and rain was pouring down once they got outside. Laughing they ran over to the car and got into their seats. Burt was strangely out of breath as they sat there, but neither of them thought much about it as the car started and they made it out of the parking lot. Again Kurt started fiddling with the radio, finding music they could both listen to.

With a small yawn he settled back in his seat, content to just be quiet. The drive home would last around two hours and the silence between them was so comfortable right now. With his eyes closed, Kurt hummed lightly to the song coming off the speakers, almost dozing off a little every so often. That was until he heard his dad make a bit of a grunting noise.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked over at his dad, who had a hand placed loosely on his chest. “Are you alright dad?” he inquired, his voice filled with worry. Burt nodded and smiled at his son. “I’m fine Kurt, it’s just a bit of heartburn” he responded and Kurt settled back against his seat once more.

From there things went wrong terribly fast. Suddenly the horn was honking and Kurt’s eyes snapped open. His dad was slumped forward against the steering wheel and the car suddenly swerved towards the edge of the road. Kurt let out a small scream as he tried to grab the wheel, to get the car back onto the road. There was nothing he could do as the car hydroplaned and went completely out of control. “Dad!” he screamed, but there was no reaction from his father. The next thing he saw was the edge of the bridge as the car smacked into the railing and straight through it.

The drop down into the water wasn’t a long one but the car had tipped forward and landed front first into the ground with a very loud crash. The last thing Kurt remembered was a sharp pain and then everything went black. It was like floating in a velvety darkness, and for a while it all seemed comforting. Then slowly something seeped into the darkness and his mind screamed that something wasn’t right. Where was he? What was going on? There was a sharp pain in his head as he tried to think and the thoughts kept slipping from his mind. What had happened? Suddenly it all rushed back to him in one painful memory.

“DAD!” he screamed, long before he could manage to get his mouth open. Over and over again he screamed for his dad, but there was no response. Finally he managed to force his eyes to open and all he saw was his father slumped over the steering wheel, blood running down the side of his face. He wasn’t moving. “Dad! Oh God. Dad! Please!” he begged. His own voice sounded muffled and watery. It was hard to breathe and he couldn’t feel his lower body at all. “Please wake up!” Panic threatened to take over and he let out another scream. No one responded this time either.

Suddenly he remembered his pone, and tried to fish it out of his pocket. His hand touched something warm and wet, and as he looked at the phone in his hand it was covered in blood. His blood. No, now wasn’t the time to think about that and somehow he managed to dial 911. A voice responded in the other end, but it took him a long time to answer. The voice was trying to speak to him urgently, asking what was the matter and who he was. “… off the road…” he managed to mutter finally. “… need help…” His voice sounded strangely distant and quiet. The voice on the other end asked if he knew where he was, or at least he thought that’s what the woman asked. “…not sure… somewhere..” he had to stop to cough violently and he tasted iron in his mouth. The woman kept talking, asking him to stay awake, but he couldn’t. The darkness that started sneaking into his vision was so tempting, and then everything went black, the phone dropping out of his hand and into the water that filled the bottom of the car.

-TBC-


	2. Waking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt wakes up, full of confusion and fear. Sometimes you just wish you could sleep for forever. Then reality kicks in.

There was nothing but darkness, for what seemed like forever he felt like he was floating.  Silence filled everything and it was strangely peaceful. Time came and went without being noticed. How long he was in the darkness for he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. Everything was so quiet, peaceful. No pain. No fear. No uncertainty. No mocking. There was only comfortable, loving silence that wrapped around him like a warm blanket.  Eventually a murmur of voices broke through the darkness. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, or whose voices they were, but they sparked curiosity in him. Who was there? Where was he? At some point he became aware of a hand holding onto his. Was it his dad? No, somehow he didn’t think it was. Then who was it? 

“Come on Kurt, please wake up” he heard a voice whisper. Or maybe they weren’t whispering, but it sounded quiet and far away to him. His mind searched frantically, trying to figure out whom the voice belonged to. “Kurt... wake up” This time the voice was a little more demanding. Why couldn’t he move? He wanted to squeeze the hand holding his back, but his muscles wouldn’t listen. The voice suddenly registered and he remembered that it belonged to Mercedes. Finally he barely managed to twitch his fingers. Mercedes’ hand instantly tightened on his. “Rachel! He’s awake!” He heard her say and managed to twitch his fingers again, it took all the strength he could muster. A shuffling noise was heard and then he could hear Rachel yelling at someone. A small smile twitched at the corner of his lips. It was comforting to hear Rachel yell the way she usually did. 

Then as he managed to twitch his eyes open, pain suddenly hit him full force. His entire upper body ached. It almost felt like he was on fire, and it was an odd contrast to the complete lack of feeling in his lower body. This scared him and he let out a soft groan. Mercedes was at his side immediately.  “It’s alright Kurt, just don’t move, the doctor will be here any moment now. It’s alright, we’re here.” A hand stroked across his forehead and moved some hair out of his eyes. A swift thought that his hair must be absolutely atrocious hit him, but it vanished as he tried to move a little and the pain intensified. It was hard to breathe and he suddenly realized there was a tube hooked up to his nose.  Wearily he tried breathing in through his nose and found that it felt amazing. Clearly something was coming out of this tube because whatever it was felt heavenly.

“I…” he began, but his face voice broke and his throat felt dry. It was difficult to think and his head swam. “Don’t try to talk Kurt, it’s all right, just rest” This time the voice belonged to Rachel. Frowning he decided to try again. “W- where’s dad?” he finally managed to croak. The silence the question was met with was deafening.  Mercedes squeezed his hand, and the silence dragged out for what seemed like hours, but in reality was more like half a minute.

Soon there was a shuffle by what he assumed was the door and two female hands grabbed his hand. “Oh Kurt! I’m so glad you’re awake!” Carole’s voice sounded through the air.  “C-carole?” he managed to stutter in a very pained and broken voice. It was frustrating that his voice wouldn’t work right. His voice was his tool, he loved singing, and the fact that his voice wasn’t co-operating with him was more than a little scary. “Yes Kurt, I’m here honey.” Carole said gently as she stroked his cheek. His eyes threatened to close again, everything hurt so much, part of him wanted to scream because of it. “Hurts…” he muttered quietly and Carole nodded. “The doctor will be here and give you something in a moment” She reassured him, but her voice sounded so tired and shaky that Kurt got scared.

“What happened?” The fear seemed to jolt him further into reality as his eyes landed on his step mom. “Where’s dad… I want…” he trailed off as a few tears slipped out of the corner of his eyes. The fact that his dad wasn’t there scared him, because all logic said that his dad would never have left his side if he was in the hospital and clearly badly hurt. Carole’s hand tightened on his and she took in a shuddering breath. “Burt is in the next room Kurt. He can’t come see you right now” she said quietly. Kurt groaned loudly and the tears started streaming faster as he forced himself to sit up in the bed. Carole’s hands tried to push him down, and it almost worked, but he was too upset and agitated to let her win and she didn’t put up too much of a battle. “Where is my dad!?” he demanded loudly, his voice had finally found some strength, but it was still hoarse and talking hurt.

At that moment the doctor stepped through the door and walked over to him. “How are you feeling Kurt?” The man asked as he leaned over to look at a chart, taking some notes. Then he came over and looked at Kurt’s eyes and checked his vitals. Kurt just shook his head a little. “Where is my dad?” he demanded again, it didn’t matter how he was feeling, he wanted to know what was going on. The doctor sighed a little. “Kurt, do you remember anything of what happened?” The man asked? Kurt frowned and closed his eyes, why couldn’t they just answer his questions? He was just so tired and his whole upper body felt like it was on fire.

There was a moment of complete silence in the room as Kurt thought about the question. A look of concentration had crossed over his face as his mind churned, trying to remember anything at all before the darkness he’d been cocooned in. “We were in Columbus…” he muttered quietly, his eyes still closed. “Shopping I think… and movies… yes… the movie theatre.” His voice was barely a whisper and he wrapped his arms around his torso, which was when he noticed the massive bandage stuck there. “It was raining a lot.” The expression on his face became strained as he tried to push past what felt like some sort of blockage, like he was walking into a wall. “I’m not sure… we were in the car…” His voice hitched as tears started rolling down his cheek in earnest, a small sob leaving him.

“This is stupid… I don’t even remember and I’m crying.” Clearly he didn’t find his own behavior acceptable. His hands were shaking violently and it didn’t help the pain. “Something happened… something happened to dad!” It was said in barely a whisper, his voice shaking so much it was hard to tell what he was saying. The doctor just nodded a little and smiled gently at him to tell him that he was still listening. “The car… drove off... off a bridge!” he finally remembered and started sobbing in earnest. “Is he- “ There was a pause as Kurt just sobbed, his voice failing him. “Is he going to be alright?” he finally managed, but again it was hard to really make out what he was saying.

This time the doctor frowned a little and looked at him seriously. “Your father is in a coma Kurt. He had a heart attack, which was what caused you to drive off the road. It’s critical, but he’s stable.” The voice sounded like it was coming from some place under water, and he felt like he was going to be sick. “When- when will he wake up?” It was the only thing he could think about, he could feel Carole’s hand holding onto his tightly, but the only thing he could focus on was the doctor and the answer he might give. “We don’t know. It could be any time. Kurt, his condition is very serious, but we’re doing what we can to help him.” The words weren’t reassuring in the least. Why couldn’t the guy just tell him that his father was going to wake up and be fine!? _Because he might not_. A small, unbidden thought made itself clear in his mind.

“Hurts…” he finally said, because the pain was becoming unbearable. The doctor nodded and fished a small vial from his pocket, with a plastic covered needle. Instead of inserting the needle into his skin, it was inserted into the IV. After a little while of desperate sobbing, the drugs finally started working, and he drifted back into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. The kind of sleep only drugs can provide.

OoOoOoOoOo 

Waking up the second time was slightly easier. It took him a while to remember what was going on, and for a few blissful moments he felt comfortable. Then it all came crashing back and it was all he could do not to burst out into uncontrollable sobs again. Fresh tears cascaded down his cheeks. A hand wiped them away and his eyes drifted in the direction of the owner of the hand. Mercedes was still sitting there next to him, and she smiled gently as she wiped away some more tears. “Hey” he whispered quietly. “Hey Kurt” came her gentle response as she reached for a cold washcloth and gently wiped his face with it. Normally he would have reacted to being so helpless, but the gesture felt good. It was comforting to know his best friend was there with him. “How are you feeling? Do you need me to get the nurse so they can give you more pain medication?”

Kurt just shook his head weakly. Not that he didn’t hurt all over, but he didn’t want to go into drugged sleep again. Instead he wanted to find out what was going on. The crash was vivid in his mind now, every second of it replaying over and over again. It made him want to be sick, but he managed to keep himself from doing so. “Mercedes?” he whispered after a while and she just smiled gently at him. Worry was clear in her eyes as he looked at her, but he couldn’t blame her, if the roles had been reversed he would have been worried too. “Yes?” She asked when he didn’t continue. “I…” he frowned and tried desperately to move his legs. “I can’t feel my legs” Again his voice hitched and the amount of tears intensified greatly. 

Mercedes’ eyes were sad as she looked back at him. “The doctors said that might happen” The reply wasn’t comforting in the least. “They also said it might be temporary.” Might be? His stomach churned and he hastily leaned to the unoccupied side of the bed, he would have fallen to the floor if it hadn’t been for the fact that Mercedes had grabbed onto his shoulders.  He heaved, but nothing came out, clearly he hadn’t eaten anything for a good long while. It hurt like hell, dry heaving like he was, but he couldn’t stop it. The sounds of his heaving and desperate sobs filled the room. A nurse came in after a while and tried to support him. She also put something into his IV again.  Eventually he leaned back against the pillows, feeling utterly and totally exhausted. His eyes drifted closed and once more he was taken by a deep, dreamless sleep.

OoOoOoOoOo 

The next time he woke up, he was seemingly alone. No one was holding his hand, and the room was dark. Slowly he tilted his head to one side, and then the other, trying to see if someone was still there. A figure was sitting in a chair near the window. By the shape of that figure it was one of the guys, and at a closer look he could tell that it was Finn. The guy was sitting with his head down on his chest and he was snoring lightly. The sound of Finn’s snoring grated on his mind, and he wanted to scream at his stepbrother to wake up, stop snoring or leave. He did neither of those things because he didn’t really think it would help.

Again he tried desperately to move his legs, and once more there was no reaction or feeling there at all. Fear gripped at his heart, what if he could never feel anything down there at all? He wouldn’t be able to walk or even dance. The tears started up again, even though he felt like he couldn’t possibly have any tears left. Then just as the tears seemed to be about to stop, his mind wandered to his dad, who was in the next room. No one had told him that anything had changed, so he had to assume nothing had. There was nothing he wanted more at that moment than to be with his dad, holding his hand. It wasn’t like they were going to let him do that though. They’d almost gotten angry with him when he’d sat up earlier, something about tearing his stitches, but he couldn’t help the incredible frustration that seemed to fill him completely. 

Finn didn’t wake up despite the sobs that filled the room. It wasn’t the first time the guy hadn’t noticed how broken Kurt felt. There had been times he’d cried himself to sleep since they’d been sharing a room, but Finn seemed to be able to sleep through almost anything. For the longest time he just stared at the edge of his blanket, his mind going over every worst-case scenario he could possibly think of. The thought of losing his dad was devastating. He’d have nothing left. His mom was already gone, had been since he was eight, the idea of losing his dad too was more than his heart could handle. Again his hands started shaking and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

No. His dad wasn’t going to die; it just wasn’t an option he was even willing to consider. They were both going to make it through this, and they were both going to be perfectly fine. Kurt was going to get the feeling back in his legs again and he was going to get up and walk out of here soon. Anything else wasn’t acceptable in the least. His stubbornness kicked in and he clenched his jaw in determination. The rest of the night was spent wide awake, trying stubbornly to move his toes, much the same way he’d tried to move his fingers when he’d woken up the first time around.

Some time early morning he seemed to drift into sleep again, but since this wasn’t a drug induced sleep, it also wasn’t a peaceful sleep. He was plagued by images of the crash. His father slumping forward into the steering wheel, screaming out loud to try to get his father to wake up, then the car crashing into the water and a massive amount of pain. With a start, he sat upright in the bed screaming. He screamed and screamed. Finn was at his side, but he didn’t notice. Nothing seemed to register, the only thing he could see was his father slumped against the steering wheel, blood trickling down his face. The screams eventually faded, probably due to the fact that someone had come in and given him another dose of some kind of medication. 

This time he didn’t drift off to sleep, his body became heavy and the screaming stopped, but it didn’t do anything to help the images flashing through his mind and the pain in his heart that made him feel like dying. What would he have to live for if his dad didn’t make it through this? There was Carole and Finn, but it wouldn’t be the same. Carole, Finn… Glee, bullying, fear and loneliness. There truly would be nothing left, why would he even bother at this point? It was so temping to just give up. It took some convincing to remember that his dad wasn’t dead, that he was in the next room and still breathing. There was no reason to think like this just yet. Again he tried to convince himself that they would both be fine.  Eventually he finally drifted off to sleep once more, and this time the dreams didn’t disturb him for the rest of the night. 

-TBC-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note chapter 2: Alright everyone, I can't guarantee my next chapter is going to be released as quickly as this one. I was inspired this time around. I'll try to update as often as I can, but some chapters will be quicker than others. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	3. A different point of view

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine enters the story and we get to find out why he's in a position to meet Kurt.

Blaine couldn't sleep, he hadn't really been able to sleep since the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance, at least not unless they'd drugged him into sleep. Instead he was staring up at the ceiling, as the room got progressively darker. For a moment he shifted awkwardly to try to get more comfortable, but his broken ribs and the stitches in his side were making that a more or less impossible task. Not to mention the fact that he just couldn't get used to that hospital smell no matter how long he spent there. For a moment he contemplated trying to watch some TV, but he knew there wasn't going to be anything decent on at this hour.

Instead, he just listened to the sounds of the hospital. There were people walking quietly up and down the hallways, most likely nurses who were going about their tasks of giving people medication or making sure everyone had what they needed. The nurses here really were great, they were all very friendly and their gentle voices had soothed him through some pretty nasty memories on multiple occasions during his stay. It was strange to be so weak in front of someone he didn't really know, but he was slowly learning the different nurses' names and they were starting to feel more familiar.

It had been a week since the Sadie Hawkins dance and physically things were slowly getting a bit better. His emotional state was a completely different story. The idea of going back to the school this had happened in scared him beyond reason. There was nothing he wanted less in this world than to have to walk back through those doors. As he thought about this, a few tears trickled down his cheeks. He'd cried way too much in the last week and he had no more energy left for anything beyond that. Actually, he was surprised he even had any tears left.

Sure, he put on a brave face whenever Cooper was around, which was most of the visiting hours, but it was exhausting. It was probably very sad that he was glad when visiting hours were over so he wouldn't have to pretend to be okay anymore. He'd begged his parents to let him change schools, but so far they'd not been very understanding about it. They'd pointed out that the kids who'd done this to him had been suspended and that there was no reason to go through changing schools, but he'd never feel safe there again. The idea of having to walk through those doors ever again made him feel physically sick. For a moment he struggled with keeping the bile down, barely managing to do so, before slumping back against the pillows and letting out a desperately frustrated noise.

After what seemed like hours of staring at the ceiling feeling utterly and completely miserable, he finally drifted off into a restless sleep. It didn't take long before he was muttering in his sleep, shifting uncomfortably. At first there was a look of excitement on his face, but it didn't take long for that excitement to turn into complete and utter terror and pain. The shifting became more and more distressed as the dream took hold and trapped him in his own personal version of hell.

OoOoOoOoOo

_As he looked into the mirror, Blaine smiled at himself and straightened his bowtie. As much as he was looking forward to this, he was also incredibly nervous. It was the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance, and he was going with the only other openly gay guy at the school. They were only going as friends of course, there were no romantic feelings between the two of them, they were just trying to prove the point that you should be allowed to go with whoever you want to, no matter if that someone is a girl or a guy and of course regardless of your own gender._

_Yes, he was aware that this may be a dangerous stunt to pull, there was so much hate for the two of them at the school already, but part of him hoped with all his heart that they'd be allowed to show up, dance together and have fun like everyone else without being bothered by anyone. For a moment he just closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting himself believe that such a thing would be possible._

_The doorbell rang downstairs and his heart started racing, nervousness setting in once more. Hastily he stuffed his phone into his pocket, along with his keys and wallet before heading down the stairs to greed Brian. "Hey!" he said happily and sent the guy a smile. "Hey Blaine! You look great!" Brian replied warmly and gave him a hug. "You don't look so bad yourself Brian" he replied as they walked to the car. There was a moment of silence as they both settled into the seats and buckled up._

_"Are you ready for this?" Brian asked him in a quiet voice. Blaine started at him for a moment with those big hazel eyes and then sighed a little. "Honestly? I'm not sure, it's a little intimidating, but I think it's about time we make a point." He answered thoughtfully. Brian just nodded a little in agreement before pulling out of the driveway and heading in the direction of the school. Again silence settled down between the two boys as they both nervously stared out the window._

_Once they reached the parking lot of the school, they stepped out of the car and just took each other's hands. There was nothing wrong with taking comfort in holding hands. They were just friends, but they were comfortable enough that they could comfort each other without feeling awkward about it. Then, taking one collective deep breath, they looked at each other and started walking towards the school._

_A nervous smile was covering both their faces as they walked through the doors to the gym. Blaine wasn't sure what he expected exactly, maybe he expected to instantly get attacked or something, but no one seemed to pay them any mind and their shoulders relaxed just a little as they looked around the room. After getting some punch they both headed out to the dance floor._

_For the first half of the dance the two of them had a blast. Blaine was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe this hadn't been such a bad idea after all. No one had bothered them all night, and they were actually laughing and chatting just like everyone else. The smile on his face was constant and the sparkle in his eyes showed just how happy he was about the current situation and the fact that they were being left alone. Brian had the same smile on his face as they danced to one of the quicker songs of the night. When the song finished Blaine felt like he was melting and he was more than a little out of breath. "I'm going to go get some air Brian. Do you want to come or are you staying here?" Brian just smiled at him. "I'll stay here, I'll see you in a bit Blaine"_

_Once he'd gotten the answer he needed, Blaine headed out the gym doors and headed down the hall towards the exit. A happy sigh left him as the cool air gusted against his face. There was a little bit of a breeze and it felt incredibly amazing against his flushed skin. As he wandered slowly across the lawns outside the front of the school, a happy smile rested on his lips. Things were going incredibly well and he couldn't believe how nice it felt._

_There were steps behind him and another smile rested on his lips as he turned around, only to face the group of boys he least wanted to deal with. "Well well well, look who it is." a cold voice said. Blaine could hear his own heart beat loudly in his ears, making everything else sound like it's coming from under water. "What do you want?" he managed to say, sounding at least semi confident in his inquiry. "Why don't you just leave me alone and go back inside to your dates?"_

_The cold laugh that followed his suggestion made a chill crawl up his spine and goose bumps break out on his skin. There was a danger in that voice, that promised so much more than cruel words and being showed into a locker. Part of him tried to be strong and stand up for himself, but at the same time he was frozen to the spot in utter terror, this was going to go wrong and there wasn't anything he could really do about it._

_Slowly he started backing up, away from the guys blocking his way to the doors and the safety of the school. The safety of the school? He'd never thought he'd think of the school as somewhere safe, but the warm light streaming out of the windows seemed a lot safer than the darkness outside. The group walked towards him a few steps, which just made him continue to back up towards the tree. Suddenly his back hit something hard, and he froze, there was nowhere to go, and the group of guys was closing in on him._

_"Oh look at the little homo!" the taunting voice said coldly. "Looks like he's about to piss his pants" The words cut into him like knives, and it took everything he had not to start shaking. The group closed in on him, blocking any chance of escape completely. Not that he could have moved even if he'd had a way out. His legs felt like they were made of lead and he was frozen to the spot._ 'This is it… I'm going to die.' _he thought desperately._

_The first punch hit him full force and knocked the air out of his lungs, making him fold over double as his lungs burned with the effort of trying to catch a breath. Something collided hard with his face and he let out a whimper as his knees gave in, making him fall to the ground. The blows didn't stop, and all he could do was curl up and bring his arms up around his head to protect his head. It didn't do much good as blow after blow was felt all over his body. Every part of him ached, and the laughter from the group of boys filled the air._

_Tears streamed down his face as he coughed, spluttered and whimpered. The blows were completely unyielding and it felt like the hell he'd been tossed into would never end. After a while, all he could do was lie there, allowing the group to do whatever they wanted, there was no more fight in him. At some point the relentless blows ceased, and silence settled over the school grounds. His head was spinning and he was in so much pain he couldn't even form a coherent thought. And that's when everything went dark._

OoOoOoOoOo

The whimpers and horrible pained noises from the dream spilled over into reality as he tossed and turned in his sleep. As everything went dark, he jolted awake in his dark hospital room, his heart racing. For a while he could feel everything aching the way it had when he'd first woken up in the hospital, but as his mind came back to the present, the pain dulled to the softer and less invading pain that lingered in his body. More sleep wasn't an option and he painfully pushed himself up into a seated position. His ribs ached as he moved, but the movement was a little comforting non-the less. It reminded him that he was alive and on his way to recovery.

Sighing a little he listened to the noises of the hospital again. The corridors seemed to be quiet now. It was late enough to where most of the patients would be asleep and so there weren't as many nurses running around. In the silence that enveloped him it was difficult not to allow the images and emotions from the dream invade his mind. It hurt more than he could even begin to explain. It wasn't even the physical pain that seemed to be the main issue, it the fact that this had happened to him just because he couldn't get himself to like girls. It happened because he refused to be anything other than himself.

After a while in silence, he heard distant sobbing. It must be one of the other patients or something? It was most likely one of the ones in the next room, since sounds like that wouldn't carry that far. The person sounded so desperate and so completely broken. It broke his heart to listen to it. Strictly speaking, he wasn't supposed to be moving around on his own, but there was something about that sound that made him ache to at least try to comfort whoever it was.

He couldn't quite tell whether or not it was a boy or a girl, but it didn't really matter. Whoever it was clearly needed someone, and since it was way after visiting hours, there wasn't anyone else, unless the person wanted to talk to one of the nurses. After listening for a moment longer he finally decided it was time to just do what his instincts told him to, so he slowly pushed himself up so he could place his legs on the floor. Everything hurt, but it wasn't so bad that he couldn't ignore it.

His legs felt a little weak as he tried to take a step forward. There was one of those walkers sitting next to his bed, it was mainly meant to be used if he had to go to the bathroom, but it would do well enough for this purpose as well. Once he was on his feet and feeling like he wasn't about to fall over, he tentatively took a step to test whether or not he thought he'd make it to the next room. Even heading for the bathroom was an ordeal most of the time, and he hadn't really moved there without the support of a nurse yet, but there was a desperate need in his heart to find the person who was crying.

Moving down the hall was a slow and painful ordeal, but at least he wasn't hooked up to any machines anymore, so he could move freely without having to worry about dragging any kind of hospital equipment along. When he finally reached the door to the room the crying was coming from, he was about ready to fall over from exhaustion. It had been a week; how come moving around was making him so exhausted? It hadn't been that long. Slowly he reached his hand out and knocked gently on the door. He wasn't going to wander in there and invade this person's privacy without permission. That would not only be rude and improper of him, but it would be a little mean. Not everyone wanted to let people know they weren't handing whatever was bothering them well, he was one of those people himself, considering he was even trying to hide how badly he was reacting to his own experiences for his own brother. Nothing could excuse not giving other people the same courtesy as he wished people would give him.

OoOoOoOoOo

Kurt had been crying for what seemed like hours. Sleep had been hard to come by, and he was so worried about his dad, yet no one would allow him to get out of bed so he could go see him. The worst thing about it all was that no one could really tell him anything good. His father was in a coma and there was no telling when or if he was ever going to wake back up. As things were, they were critical but stable, this was something that could change in an instant and not necessarily for the better.

The thought that he might lose his father was way too much to handle. He'd lost his mother years ago, and that had almost been unbearable. Even now he still ached at the thought of not seeing her again. In fact, he still had one of her sweaters tucked away in his nightstand and a small bottle of the perfume she'd used sitting in the drawer with it. Whenever he was having a bad day, he'd bring the sweater out and just clutch it to his chest, taking in the smell that was his mother. Whenever the smell faded too much, he'd carefully bring out the small perfume bottle and spray it once onto the fabric. The bottle was running low, but he'd managed to make it last this long by being very careful about how much he used. He wasn't sure if it was possible to find the same scent in the stores anymore. The idea of not even having his dad was just way too much for him to handle.

As much as he wanted to sobs to stop and as exhausted as he was, he couldn't keep them back. His whole body shook at every sob and the sound filled the room. The fact that someone might hear him, or that he might be keeping someone else awake didn't even cross his mind. Nothing and no one other than his father seemed important at this point in time.

Suddenly there was a quiet knocking sound. Who would be knocking at his door at this time of the night? His mind immediately went to the nurses, but they usually only checked on him once every few hours if he didn't puss the little button to call them to him, and the nurse this evening had been there only about half an hour before. He'd pretended to be sleeping when she'd stopped by, so she'd gone on her way and left him alone. For a moment he just laid there, taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down before wiping at his face to no avail.

At least he managed to quiet his sobs down a little. While his shoulders still shook in silent sobs every so often, maybe it would be enough to convince whoever was there that he was fine. Having taken his time to try to calm himself, he almost thought the person on the other side of the door had gone away, but just as he was about to give up on his self control and start sobbing again, there was another quiet knock on the door. "Yeah? The door's open…" he said, trying to sound like his own sarcastic self, but it sounded weak and pathetic as his voice quivered and broke at the end of the sentence.

-TBC-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note chapter 3: I hope you enjoy this chapter, I thought it was about time to bring Blaine into the mix.


	4. Room mates!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are getting to know each other better.

Kurt didn't bother raising his head off the bed when he heard the door creak open. Maybe it was rude of him not to pay whoever it was any attention, but he assumed it would be one of the nurses who'd heard him crying, and he really had no energy to spare on trying to be polite. He was feeling absolutely miserable about everything in life right now, and the nurses could handle it, they'd seen him cry before. However, as the door creaked open further, there was an unmistakable sound of one of those walker some people seemed to use getting around in the halls.

It could be a little strange that he recognized the sound, but since he'd been stuck there he'd gotten quite accustomed to the sounds around the hallways. There wasn't much else he had the energy to do than lie there and listen. Sure, he'd watched some TV and listened to some music, but half the time he couldn't even muster the energy to turn any of those things on. A small frown of confusion crossed his face as tears continued to fall down his face, there was no stopping them right now, the dam had burst and the flow wouldn't be stilled until the water level had reached empty.

Finally he lifted his head off the pillow just enough to look over the edge of the blanket to find out who'd entered his room in the middle of the night. His eyes landed on a boy, who was maybe a little bit shorter than him. The boy had dark brown, very curly hair, and incredible hazel eyes. Normally Kurt would have thought him to be absolutely gorgeous, and the thought barely drifted by him for a split second before he remembered it didn't matter what the boy looked like. It was then that he noticed the fading bruises on the guy's arms and even on his face; the boy must be another patient.

The boy looked back at him and offered up a gentle, almost apologetic smile as he lingered in the doorway. "I think you've got the wrong room" Kurt offered quietly, his voice still easily betrayed that he was upset and on the brink of more sobs, but he tried to sound friendly. If this guy really had walked into the wrong room, then he'd probably not done it on purpose and there was no excuse for biting the guy's head off for it.

OoOoOoOoOo

Once he'd knocked for the second time, Blaine waited patiently for another moment. For a while he started wondering if the person on the other side of the room was going to ignore him, but then there was a broken statement saying that the door was open. After taking a deep breath, he slowly pushed to door open. The action of doing so sent a wave of pain through his entire body, but again he tried his best to ignore it.

At first there was no reaction from the boy in the bed, after hearing him speak Blaine was almost sure it was a boy, and all he could see was a chestnut head of hair poking out over the top of the blanket. For what seemed like a small eternity, he just stood there, unsure of what to say. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. Now that he was here, he felt like he was invading the guy's privacy. The silence that lingered seemed to stretch on for an eternity and again he was about to turn around and walk away, but the boy lifted his head off the pillow before he got a chance to. A small smile crossed his face, and he tried to convey that he was sorry for intruding in the same gesture.

The eyes looking at him were the most amazing color of blue; it was a color he couldn't quite name, a color that seemed almost unique to this boy. Sure, the eyes were puffy and very red from crying, but they were still absolutely breathtaking. The boy's skin was pale, probably a bit more so than usual, though something told him the skin was always a somewhat pale color. There didn't seem to be a single flaw on the smooth skin, almost like porcelain. "Oh… uhm… no, I meant to come here. I'm sorry if I'm intruding" he almost whispered, in his always so polite tone of voice, shifting a little nervously and also trying to get more comfortable standing there. Everything ached by now, and standing really was a trial far beyond what he'd expected it to be.

Kurt's eyes widened a little when the boy said he'd meant to come here and one of his eyebrows lifted upwards in a questioning gesture. "You meant to come here? Why would you do that?" he inquired quietly as he studied the boy in the doorway. "You look like you shouldn't be out of bed." The statement was quite spontaneous and when he realized what he'd said before he bit his lip and frowned some. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me to say."

"No, it's alright, I probably shouldn't be here, but I couldn't sleep and… well I heard you crying and I thought maybe you could use some company." The boy answered and Kurt felt his heart swell just a little bit at the gesture. Not a lot of people would care enough to do that for someone. Random strangers crying wasn't something most would worry about if they were hurt themselves, and it wasn't like Kurt was used to a lot of people caring whether or not he was alright. Sure, his friends from McKinley and his dad would care if they knew, but they all seemed to fail noticing that his life had been absolutely miserable for the last few months. Everyone had been too busy with the drama in Glee club as a whole, and his dad had been busy with Carole. Oh he was happy that his dad had found Carole and that they made each other happy, but he missed just being the two of them. It had been just the two of them for so long, and things just weren't the same anymore.

As he stood there, waiting for the boy on the bed to either turn him away or ask him to come inside, Blaine watched the shifting expressions on the guy's face. The heartbreaking sadness was still evident in the boy's eyes, but now there was also a mix of disbelief and insecurity there, as if the boy expected this to be some kind of mean trick. "I can leave if you want, but I know it gets kind of lonely around here at night, and the nurses don't always have time to sit down and talk. That and they're not always someone you want to talk to" he offered quietly and just shifted his weight a little more as he looked into those incredibly blue eyes.

Disbelief covered Kurt's face for a moment before he nodded a little and tilted his head towards one of the chairs next to the bed. It was as much of an invitation he could muster at the moment, his throat had closed off again and he didn't trust himself to speak.

Blaine could feel Kurt's eyes on him as he slowly and painfully made his way to the chair and lowered himself into it with a small cringe. Then he spent a good amount of time trying to shift his weight around so he could get a little more comfortable, but nothing really helped much. For a while, he regretted leaving his bed, because everything ached so much. Silence filled the room for a while again while he tried thinking of something to say, but nothing decent really came to mind. Sure, he could ask if the boy on the bed wanted to talk about anything, but then again, he was pretty sure the guy would start talking when he was ready to. The last thing he wanted to do was push for something that was none of his business.

OoOoOoOoOo

The silence filled the room for something close to fifteen minutes, and despite the fact that no words had been spoken, Blaine was still sitting by Kurt's bed. He'd offered to leave, but since Kurt hadn't expressed that he wanted him to leave, he stayed in his seat. Every now and then a small sob broke through the silence, tearing from Kurt's throat as if he was trying to hold them back. "You know… it's okay to cry" Blaine whispered quietly and reached out very tentatively to take Kurt's hand into his. Then it hit him that he hadn't even introduced himself. "I'm Blaine by the way." he almost whispered.

"Kurt…" came the reply from the boy who was peering at him, over the edge of his blanket still. His own hand closed around Blaine's as it came within his grasp and he almost clung to it a little. Surprise filled him, because it wasn't every day someone who wasn't his father would offer to hold his hand like this, most guys flinched away from him whenever he accidentally brushed past them. The hand was a little calloused, and if he was going to guess he'd say Blaine probably played the guitar, but it felt very comfortable and comforting in his hand. A tiny smile eventually broke through the tears, though they didn't dry out.

"Thank you…" he whispered and in reply Blaine offered him a warm smile. "You're welcome, I know how lonely they place gets at night when you aren't allowed visitors." Not that Blaine didn't feel just as lonely during the day most of the time. Cooper would be there though visiting hours, and they'd talk about random topics, but never about what had happened and why they were there in the first place. His eyes fell on the nightstand for a moment and onto the magazine resting on it. It was the newest edition of Vogue. His yes brightened a little as he looked back at Kurt. Maybe talking about something else for a bit would at least warm the boy up enough to start talking about other things.

"Did you like this edition of Vogue?" Blaine asked tentatively. Kurt's head snapped up and he seemed to perk up just a little at the mention, but then he sighed and shrugged. "I didn't really read it yet. Carole just brought it by yesterday and I didn't really feel like reading." His voice was still shaky, but just as Blaine had suspected, the topic seemed to be one that at least didn't make the boy more upset, but then to his horror that seemed to change within a few seconds and Kurt was back to sobbing. "Hey… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you" he whispered and squeezed Kurt's hand gently.

Without thinking about what he was doing, he reached for a tissue on the bedside table and then gently went about wiping the tears from Kurt's cheeks. Normally he wouldn't have had the confidence to do anything like that, especially to someone as gorgeous as Kurt, but he didn't even consider it this time around. Kurt clearly needed some comfort and he'd do whatever he could to provide whatever comfort he could offer. Part of him wished he knew what was going on with the other boy so he could offer more help, but he also didn't want to stick his nose into something that wasn't his business. Kurt could explain if he wanted to.

Again silence seemed to fill the room, aside from the small sobs leaving Kurt's chest. "I just want to see my dad…" Kurt finally muttered through the sobs. It wasn't much of an explanation, but it was a start. "Your dad? Doesn't he come by to see you?" Blaine asked before he could stop himself and, as Kurt seemed to loose any sort of grip on himself that he'd had, Blaine instantly regretted the question. Since he didn't really know how to respond to Kurt's sudden complete meltdown, he just sat there quietly, still wiping gently at the boy's cheeks. "It's alright, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Kurt just shook his head and struggled to sit up a little more. Everything seemed more difficult now that he couldn't move his legs and use them to help, but eventually he managed to sit up enough to where he could look at Blaine properly. Sniffling he bit his lip and tried to gather his strength enough to speak. "Dad's in the next room…" He finally whispered and another few sobs escaped him. "He had a heart attack, and we drive off the road." He knew it was difficult to hear what he was saying through the sobs, but Blaine seemed to understand and was just nodding gently, still wiping tears away, and waited for Kurt to continue.

Before he knew what he was doing, it all started spilling out of him. The events of the accident, the fact that he was paralyzed from waist down and no one knew if it would get better or not, then the fear that his dad wasn't going to get better and finally the desperate statement that he'd have no one if that happened.

Blaine just listened in silence, letting out a sympathetic noise here and there. There wasn't much he could say to make the situation better, at least not at this very moment, though he'd have a very long chat with the hospital staff about finding some way to let Kurt see his dad, even if they had to wheel his bed into the next room. He couldn't believe they hadn't already done that, since it was clear the boy desperately needed to see his dad. "If I thought I could handle pushing your bed into the other room, I'd help you with it" he offered quietly, his hand moving from wiping tears from Kurt's cheek, to just gently running through the boy's hair instead.

For a while the only sounds in the room was Kurt's sobs again, and Blaine didn't feel like he needed to be interrupted. Clearly Kurt needed to cry, to get some of the pain and fear off his chest. Eventually the sobs slowed down and the only thing left was quiet sniffles, but Blaine never stopped stroking Kurt's hair soothingly.

OoOoOoOoOo

Neither boy knew how long they'd been sitting there in silence, but neither of them cared. Somehow the silence didn't seem smothering or uncomfortable. The hand running through Kurt's hair was slowly soothing him and his tears eventually stopped, and once they had, the two of them started talking about random things. Fashion and Vogue seemed to be the center of conversation for most of the night. They had the same favorite cover and they liked a lot of the same articles as well. Neither of them noticed time passing and light starting to filter through the window, their minds too occupied with each other and their conversation.

At some point, early in the morning, both boys drifted into sleep. Blaine's hands were still holding onto Kurt's, and he was slumping forward, his head leaning on his arms. It didn't look like a comfortable position to sleep in, and it would surely be very uncomfortable to wake up that way, but for now he didn't seem to notice. When Carole walked into the room a few hours later, she was surprised to see an unfamiliar boy sleeping next to her stepson. For a moment she considered waking them and suggesting the boy could find a better place to sleep, but after looking at them for a moment she realized this was the first time she'd seen a smile on Kurt's face since he'd woken up, so instead she grabbed a spare blanket and draped it over Blaine's shoulders. For the first time since they'd ended up in the hospital, both boys were sleeping peacefully. This was surely going to be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Autor’s notes chapter 4: I hope you all enjoy the meeting between the two boys. I would love to see some more comments and to hear what you guys think! I’ll update again some time fairly soon because this story just seems to be forcing it’s way out of my head. I’ll see you soon! ^_^


	5. Room arrangements?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys are still getting to know each other better and one of the nurses has a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my new Beta Lotti for her help! <3

Waking up was strange. There was an unfamiliar hand holding his, but somehow it didn't feel wrong or alarming. In fact it felt incredibly safe and comfortable, not to mention the fact that he felt strangely rested. Yes, his upper body still ached like hell, and he still couldn't feel his legs, which was something that made his stomach turn into a massive ball of knots, but all in all he felt better than he had since he'd blacked out in the car right after the crash.

A small sigh left his lips as he slowly let his mind come back to full consciousness. The person next to him was Blaine, and he'd come in here last night at some point, to offer a friendly ear and some company. His heart swelled as he thought about that, because there had been nothing he'd needed more at the time than just talking to someone. Not about what had happened, because he wasn't really ready to go into any details on the events that lead up to being in the hospital, but about anything and everything else.

For a few hours, he could almost pretend that things were somewhat normal. Pretend that his life wasn't falling apart by the seams for a little while. It had been so nice, but he knew it couldn't last forever. His dad was in a coma, and he couldn't move his legs. Hell he couldn't even go to the bathroom on his own, which was the most embarrassing thing he'd ever experienced. The fuzzy warm feeling he'd had when he'd been waking up was leaving him quickly and his eyes slowly fluttered open, glancing around the room.

Blaine had a blanket over his shoulders, and if he had to guess, he'd bet Carole had been in here and made sure the boy wouldn't freeze. The boy looked peaceful, but Kurt knew he was bound to be achy and uncomfortable when he woke up. For a moment he considered waking him, but he looked so peaceful, with a soft smile on his lips, that he didn't have the heart to. Instead, he tried to curl up a little more, and shift around so he could hold the boy's hand a little more comfortably.

Silence filled the room aside from Blaine's breathing, and Kurt realized that listening to it was kind of soothing. Unfortunately it couldn't stop the knot from forming in his stomach as he desperately tried to wiggle his toes. The effort became more and more desperate as time moved on and eventually tears started to fall down his cheeks again. It wasn't going to work; he was never going to be able to walk again. Once his mind had settled into that panic mode it easily moved onto even darker thoughts. His dad wasn't going to wake up and he was going to be alone for the rest of his life.

The thoughts of never finding love had been with him for so long, and his mind had convinced him long ago that this was probably the way it was going to be. That had been okay though - he'd had his dad and that was everything he needed to believe in, their family and the fact that they'd always have each other. No, he wasn't naïve enough to think that his dad was going to be around for forever, but it had never occurred to him that something like this might happen.

His dad had always been so strong, his rock; it was like nothing could ruin the man that was his father. That illusion had been shattered the moment that heart attack had happened, and now? Kurt was here, awake and alive and his dad was lying in the other room in some sort of limbo between life and death, unable to move or speak and possibly never likely to wake up again. It was enough to make him want to scream.

It was hard to keep quiet, the sobs threatening to spill out loudly, but instead he managed to hold them back, his body violently shaking at each of them but no sound coming out. The only real sign that he was crying, aside from the tears soaking into the pillow, was the occasional sniffle leaving him. Despite himself, every now and then he'd glance up from the pillow to make sure Blaine was still there, even if the guy's hand was still holding onto his rather tightly.

After a while - Kurt wasn't sure how long - he could feel the hand on his tightening a little, and when he looked up Blaine was looking at him with a slightly sad smile on his face. It wasn't pity, which Kurt would have hated; it was just a genuine sadness that the boy seemed to feel for him. "Morning …" Kurt muttered quietly, his voice broken and a little hoarse as he spoke. The tears could easily be heard in his voice, but then again they weren't exactly a secret since they were rolling down his cheek.

"Morning. Kurt." Blaine said, trying not to sound like his entire body ached from the position he'd been sleeping in all night. His back ached, and his ribs felt like they were about to poke out of his chest. Every breath hurt and he was just sore all over. "Did you not sleep at all?" he asked worriedly, his voice a tiny whisper. "I'm sorry I fell asleep, I didn't come in here to leave you alone. I wanted to keep you company."

The small shake of Kurt's head was all it took for Blaine's worry to sky-rocket, because he really hadn't meant to fall asleep and leave the boy to his own miserable thoughts. "Oh no!" Kurt tried to say hastily, but his voice hitched and it was hard to get the words out. "I slept … I think I woke up somewhere around an hour ago?" His eyes fell shut for a moment and he tried to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down enough to where he'd at least be able to talk properly.

"You must be really uncomfortable ... sleeping in that chair, especially with your injuries." Kurt murmured and sent Blaine an apologetic smile. It wasn't hard to tell Blaine had been through something that had tossed his body around a lot. There were bruises covering every inch of visible skin, and Kurt was sure there was much more to it than what was visible with the guy as clothed as he was.

Blaine smiled and shook his head a little. "No, it's alright. I'll be fine, but we could ring for a nurse or something. See if they have some drugs for us? Not that I usually like taking any of that stuff, but some situations require it." he smiled, and Kurt was taken aback by just how gorgeous that smile really was. Yes, he'd seen the smile the night before, but he'd been so busy trying to forget about everything else that he hadn't really realized just how stunning it made the guy sitting next to him.

"I concur - painkillers do sound good right about now." He agreed, and couldn't help but to return the smile. It was like Blaine's grin lit up the room, and it was one of the most contagious smiles he'd ever seen. "They usually keep me pretty well topped off, but I guess they didn't want to wake us up or something. I think my stepmom has been in here, considering you're wearing one of the spare blankets." he added with a nod to Blaine's shoulders. "She really does care about everyone. It's sweet. I bet she was a little confused that I had company when she came in here though." His voice was filled with admiration for the woman.

Blaine laughed lightly, and then winced at the ache it caused in his ribcage. Kurt immediately frowned and looked at Blaine carefully. "You alright? I mean, obviously you're not, since you're in here and all, but that looked like it hurt." There was obvious concern in his voice as his eyes travelled across Blaine's form to make sure nothing was visibly wrong at the very least.

"No, I'm alright ... I have a few broken ribs, so laughing and you know, breathing, kind of hurts ... but I'll be fine." Blaine replied, and even managed another warm smile. This boy seemed too amazing to be true. He was obviously battered and bruised and yet here he was, trying to make Kurt feel better instead of being comfortable in his own hospital bed. "I'd move over and offer for you to lie down, but I can only really move so much on my own." he said regretfully, but at the same time he was already trying to push himself towards one side of the bed.

It wasn't meant as a weird or suggestive offer, and there was no hint of that in his tone. It was simply that he wanted Blaine to be more comfortable than he could ever be sitting in that horrible chair. It was an immense struggle to move, and it made the stitches in his side pull a little, this in turn causing his bruises to hurt all the more. "Hey, hey - no, don't ... you'll hurt yourself!" Blaine exclaimed as he watched Kurt struggle. "I'm alright, I promise!" he added hastily and placed a hand gently on Kurt's shoulder to try to stop him. "Please, Kurt - don't hurt yourself."

At that moment one of the nurses came into the room and her eyes widened at the sight of the two boys. "Mr. Anderson! What are you doing out of bed!? And Mr. Hummel, you really shouldn't be doing that. If you want to move, you should have called for some help." She wasn't trying to be bossy; the words were spoken with true concern. "Neither of you should be moving around - do you want to pull your stitches?" She scolded gently as she first fussed over Kurt and tried to help him move the way he'd wanted to. "Is that better?" She asked once he settled down against the pillows.

"Yeah ... I just wanted to let Blaine lie down if he wanted to." Kurt muttered apologetically before smiling gently at Blaine, who looked more than a little guilty in his seat. The nurse turned her attention to Blaine and shook her head slowly. "Mr. Anderson … what are you doing in here, huh? Didn't I tell you just yesterday that you need to get your rest?"

Blaine just looked increasingly remorseful as the woman spoke, but he offered her a tiny smile nonetheless. "Well … I couldn't sleep … and it sounded like Kurt might need some company. Maybe I wanted some company too - it gets really quiet around here when you can't sleep at night." He whispered, as if admitting this was somewhat difficult for him. Kurt decided it was a good idea to step into the conversation at this point. "I really did need the company, and he didn't bother me or anything." he hastily added with a genuine smile.

The nurse sighed for a moment, and surveyed the two boys. It was as calm and happy as she'd seen either of them since they'd arrived at the hospital - and yes, they both needed rest, but the question was whether or not they'd actually get any if they were allowed to hang out together. She paused, deep in thought, and the two boys could almost see the cogs turning in her head. "Alright. Well I'll need to talk with the doctor first, but I may have an idea ... or more of a suggestion, for you two. Here - let me help you onto the bed for now, Mr. Anderson. It may not be ideal, but it's better than you sitting all hunched up in that chair. Then I'll be back as soon as I know if my idea will work." She almost sounded excited, and that only helped to induce another smile on both boys' faces as she helped Blaine onto the bed.

"I hope you don't think this is too weird?" Kurt said quietly as the nurse left. "I mean, you could have declined the offer … not all guys are comfortable sharing a bed like this and all." His voice was very hesitant as he spoke. Blaine just chuckled and shook his head. "No, it's fine ... honestly, anyone who thinks it's weird sitting on a bed with someone else while fully-clothed is pretty childish." He replied as he shifted slightly to get more comfortable. "I'm glad you think so, because not many guys would agree with you." Kurt almost whispered in response. "Well, most guys are silly." Blaine replied as the two of them settled into talking about random topics once more, waiting for the nurse to come back.

OoOoOoOoOo

The nurse didn't come back for a while, and they sort-of assumed she'd forgotten about them. Not that they minded - they were having a pretty good time talking about music, fashion and other random things. However, eventually she did knock on the door with a bright smile on her face. "Well, I've talked to the doctor, and we both agreed that my suggestion may be a good idea. So I was thinking ... if the two of you insist on spending time together, maybe you might like to share a room? This one is a double, but it was made into a single room when you first came in because we needed to allow for some extra machines. Now that we no longer need those, the hospital could use the space - if the two of you are comfortable with that idea?" She offered, making sure her suggestion came from as practical an angle as possible. "We may have to bring an extra bed into this room soon in any case, and I'd much rather see patients share with someone they're comfortable with." she added hopefully.

Kurt's eyes widened a little. The idea of rooming with some random person didn't appeal to him at all, but at the same time he certainly didn't want to make Blaine feel uncomfortable or pushed into it by seeming too excited, so instead he stayed quiet, biting the inside of his lip.

Blaine glanced over at Kurt, smiling at the sight of him clearly holding back his own opinion. "Well, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea to me - that is, if Kurt would like it?" His voice was gentle and caring, not a hint of hesitation or forcefulness, just genuine concern that Kurt had to want it too for this to work. "I …" Kurt whispered almost inaudibly. "I'd like that too. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to, and if I have to have a room-mate I'd much rather it be Blaine than some stranger I've never talked to." he added, still in barely a whisper, but the nurse smiled and nodded in response.

"Great! I'll get the ball rolling on that then, and we'll get Blaine's bed settled in here some time today. Sooner rather than later!" She beamed at them before heading off to get things started, and Kurt looked to Blaine with a gentle smile.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with this? I mean, I wouldn't want you to move in here just because it was suggested ... if you don't want to." He asked, and his voice was so filled with hope that it almost broke Blaine's heart. "I'm really fine with it. I've had my best night and morning for days, and I like your company. So I don't see why this isn't a good idea." Blaine replied, letting out a muffled yawn. Sure he'd slept well, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be a little tired still. It was probably because his body was spending so much energy on trying to heal itself.

OoOoOoOoOo

A few more hours passed, and a bed was rolled into the room for Blaine. The two of them settled down into their own beds and continued talking about anything and everything. Neither of them brought up the reason for the other being in the hospital, both feeling like that was something they'd talk about when they were ready for it. When visiting hours finally began, Mercedes made her way into the room. She didn't knock, because she hadn't wanted to wake Kurt if he'd been sleeping, and her eyes widened as they landed on Blaine. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't know Kurt shared a room now!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to Kurt's bedside and taking a seat in the chair Blaine had spent all night in.

"I brought your homework." She told Kurt apologetically while pulling out some books and notepads from her bag. "The teachers say to take your time though, there is no rush. They just wanted me to bring it in case you thought it was a good thing to keep yourself occupied with." Judging by the wrinkle of her nose, Mercedes clearly didn't think that was a good way to spend your time no matter what the situation was.

Kurt just laughed warmly at his best friend's gesture. "Thanks 'Cedes." He said quietly, glancing over and smiling at Blaine. "'Cedes, this is Blaine. He's my new room-mate while I'm here." He said, making a I'm-more-than-okay-with-this face. Mercedes smiled and walked over to gently take Blaine's hand. "Nice to meet you Blaine. I'm Mercedes - I'm a friend of Kurt's from school." She explained, throwing Kurt a questioning look followed by one that clearly stated 'He's hot!'.

Kurt felt a blush rise in his cheeks, but he couldn't help but to think she was right. She'd of course know that he agreed by the blush, and she sent him a wink before turning to Blaine. "You don't go to McKinley, do you? I don't remember seeing you around the halls." she asked, as though it was the most natural question in the world. "Oh, um … no, I don't go to McKinley, but this was still the closest hospital to where I ... got injured." he said, clearly keen to keep the story a little vague. Kurt's warning glance to Mercedes told her not to push it and she simply smiled.

"Well, it seems to me like Kurt got himself a pretty good room-mate ... I know for a fact that he thought it was kind of lonely in here." She said, and Kurt blushed some more, throwing her another nervous look. "Oh! Everyone from New Directions says 'hi', Kurt - and they all hope you get better soon. Rachel said she'd stop by a little later, and I think Tina and Mike wanted to do the same. You're okay for some visitors, right? I told them I'd ask, just in case you didn't want everyone running in and out of here every two seconds."

Kurt just nodded with another warm smile. "Yeah, that's fine. I would love to have some visitors, as long as Blaine here doesn't mind so many people coming and going today." He enquired as he looked over to Blaine. There was a sad smile on the boy's lips, but he shook his head. "Of course I don't mind if you have some visitors, Kurt. If the rest of your friends are as nice as Mercedes, I'm sure it won't be a problem." The response sounded as sad in Kurt's ears as the smile appeared. "Alright, well you can tell them they're welcome to come visit any time then. Actually, you can tell the whole group that if you want ... I'll be sure to let everyone know when I've had enough for the day." He reassured Mercedes who was failing to hide her worried frown. "'Cedes, I'll be fine - really." He whispered and reached out to squeeze her hand.

The statement sounded false even to his ears, or maybe it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince her. Mercedes didn't make a comment on the matter though, and Kurt was grateful. They all settled down and eventually Blaine joined the conversation, which mostly revolved around the New Directions and the dramas going on in the Glee club, as well as the songs they were singing. Music seemed to be one of Blaine's passions, and Kurt was glad that he wasn't left out as they chatted. He also noted that throughout the whole day, Blaine never received a single visit from anyone.

-TBC-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes chapter 5: Thank you again for reading my fifth chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and the fact that our boys are now sharing a room! Until next time :)

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s note: So, this is very much a work in progress. I have some idea where it is going, but I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to get there (even though I do have some general plans). Mostly I’m going to be following my instincts as to what each chapter will be about. I also have no idea how many chapters it will be. I’m sorry if this is an inconvenience to anyone, but it is just how I work.


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